


Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip

by skymageariel



Series: 31 days of The Dragon Prince [9]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Autumn, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Modern AU, Pumpkin carving, fall - Freeform, flun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:41:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26912323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skymageariel/pseuds/skymageariel
Summary: A batch of phenomenal cookies is on the line as Claudia, Soren, Rayla, and Ezran battle it out to win the grand prize. A few things go haywire, but in the end, the winner would walk away with the best cookies ever.
Relationships: Janaya (The Dragon Prince), Rayllum (The Dragon Prince)
Series: 31 days of The Dragon Prince [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946767
Comments: 12
Kudos: 40





	Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip

“Isn’t this great?” Callum whispered, leaning on Rayla’s shoulder. They were sitting on a beach, alone, as the sun was setting. The air was cold- both of them were wearing jackets, wrapped in a blanket together. “This has got to be the best place in Washington.”

“Yeah,” Rayla said, breathing in. “It is.” She closed her eyes, imagining the constellations they’d see in a few moments. She loved the stars. 

“I can’t believe it’s October already,” Callum said. “I can’t believe how much time has gone by.”

“I can. I’ve been waiting.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“I know fall is your favorite season. And in October, you kick into full gear. I like that side of you,” Rayla said, leaning into him. “You’re happiest in the fall.”

“What, so I’m sad the rest of the year?” he joked.

“No. You’re just happiest in the fall.” Rayla thought back to the year previous, smiling at the memories. “Last year, every single day until Thanksgiving break, you showed up every day with one of those Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes.”

“They’re good!” Callum reasoned. 

“Then explain the pumpkin scented candles everywhere in your room?”

“They’re seasonal!”

“And the pumpkin garland?”

“It’s cute!”

“Dude, you have purple fairy lights shaped like bats. Admit it, fall is your favorite season,” Rayla laughed lightly. 

“It’s true,” Callum surrendered, sitting up. “Something about the falling leaves in Seattle just makes for the best time of year.”

“I remember last year, when you hosted a pumpkin carving contest at your house-“

“Oh, no,” Callum started laughing, remembering the day…

—

It was a crisp fall day, the sky was clear and the air chilled the temperature. Sports had been cancelled because of the cold, and no one had anywhere to go. So, Callum suggested they come to his house. “And bring a large pumpkin,” the invitation said. 

One by one, the whole gang showed up at Callum’s house, and one by one, they all immediately caught wind of what was happening. At the kitchen table, Callum had covered the entire thing in several layers of newspaper, and each seat had a serrated knife at the ready. In the middle of the table was a big glass bowl labeled “Pumpkin Guts” with red droplets drawn on in sharpie. Soren was the first to show up. He set down his pumpkin at the head of the table, surveying the setup. 

“So,” he started, picking up the knife. “We’re carving pumpkins?” 

“Yes, but there’s more to it!” Callum appeared from where he was crouched on the floor. He was wearing an apron that said “Hot Stuff Coming Through”, and he was carrying several bowls. After placing them on the counter, he began to pull a bunch of things out of the pantry. Flour, salt, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon- the works.

“So you’re baking while we all carve pumpkins?” Soren asked. Callum nodded.

“Yes, but there’s more to it.” The doorbell rang, and Callum answered the door, letting Claudia in. She carried her basketball-sized pumpkin into the kitchen, placing it at a seat as far away from where Soren was sitting as possible. Looking around the table, she said,

“So we’re carving pumpkins?”

“Yes, but there’s more to it! We just have to wait until Rayla gets back with Ezran, then I’ll explain. But right now- just brainstorm.” Callum smirked as he sorted measuring cups. A few minutes later, the front door opened and shut, Rayla and Ezran appearing in the kitchen. Rayla’s pumpkin was not much bigger than a softball. Ezran’s, however, was easily half his height. It was a wonder he hadn’t dropped it yet. When Soren saw Ez’s pumpkin, his mouth dropped.

“Where did you find that?” he asked in awe.

“The pumpkin patch,” Ezran said, straining under its weight as he pushed it onto the table. 

“Rayla,” Callum said, coming around to the table, “I told you to bring a large pumpkin.”

“It is large,” Rayla said as she dropped it onto the table. “It’s bigger than my hand, isn’t it?”

“Okay, all of us are here,” Soren interrupted, standing. “When can we start carving pumpkins?”

“The reason I gathered you all here today-“ Callum began, embellishing his words, “-is because I believe all of you are gifted. All of you are creative, talented-“

“Cut to the point,” Soren rolled his eyes. Callum shook his head, ignoring the comment as he continued.

“You all remember my mom’s pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookies, right?”

“Oh, yeah,” Claudia sighed. “Your mom was a really good baker- but those cookies-“

“Those cookies were always the best,” Rayla agreed.

“Honestly, the worst part of her death is that we don’t get those cookies anymore.”

“SOREN!” the girls scolded in unison.

—

“I still can’t believe Soren said that,” Rayla chuckled. “He really doesn’t have a filter.”

“Of the things he’s said, that is definitely not the worst,” Callum smiled. “But anyways, then Ezran said-“

—

“He’s right, those cookies were amazing.” He let out a sigh, picking at the stem of his pumpkin. 

“Ignoring what just happened,” Callum moved on, “I found her cookbook the other day and decided to make a batch. While I’m baking, you all are gonna carve your pumpkins. When I’m done, while the cookies are cooling, Harrow, Amaya, and Janai are all gonna come over and decide on a winner. Winner gets the cookies.”

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise- Callum was a great baker, but with Sarai’s recipe? Game over. 

“But I’ll get some because I’m your girlfriend, right?” Rayla leaned over and whispered.

“No,” Callum matched her volume. “You all better start carving, because I’ve started baking.” He walked back to the counter and began measuring flour into a sifter. Immediately, everyone dug a knife into their pumpkin. “And put the pumpkin guts in the bowl! I wanna save the seeds.”

“Who let a literal child have a knife,” Claudia asked, concerned. Ezran was carving a circle at the top with ease, which was a little scary. “And why does the child know how to use a knife so well?”

“Pumpkin carving contests are a tradition here,” Ezran explained, pulling the top off his pumpkin. “I’ve been carving pumpkins since I could walk.”

—

“I always wondered if that was true,” Rayla interrupted, pulling her jacket tighter around her. 

“It’s half true.” Callum said. “Harrow would always help him with pumpkin carving until he was around six or so. But thanks to that, he’s always been weirdly good with knives.”

“Uh…”

“Like- chopping onions and stuff. He’s good in the  _ kitchen _ with a knife.”

“Yeah, like that’s any less scary.”

“Anyways, back to the story.”

—

The oven was counting down the minutes, and the smell of pumpkin spice filled the whole kitchen. In the time it took for the cookies to bake, Callum was able to clean up his whole half of the kitchen, and sort out the pumpkin seeds onto a baking sheet covered in cinnamon and sugar. Everyone but Rayla was still carving their pumpkin; Soren hadn’t spoken in twenty minutes, he was so focused. 

“Time is almost up!” Callum yelled as the timer on the oven reached two minutes. Ezran put down his knife, content with his design. Rayla had been done for a while at this point, and continued scrolling through twitter. Claudia didn’t move any faster, but her face showed immense panic. Soren, on the other hand, started rushing like crazy.

“One minute!” he called. Claudia put down her knife. Ezran came over to the oven to watch the cookies through the glass. Soren, in his haste to finish his pumpkin, sliced his hand right down the middle. He froze, staring at his hand in shock, before slowly getting up and grabbing an entire roll of paper towels to stop the bleeding. 

“Times up! Knives down!” Callum shouted, pulling each sheet of cookies out of the oven as it beeped. Claudia calmly put down her knife. Soren sat back down, gripping an entire roll of paper towels, and Ezran simply smiled at his pumpkin. Rayla looked up and said,

“Oh, are we done?”

—

“I didn’t say that,” Rayla said, pushing Callum’s shoulder lightly.

“Yes, you did!” he laughed, “You were so apathetic about the whole thing.”

“Nuh uh! I cared!”

“You brought a pumpkin the size of a softball after I said ‘large’ pumpkin!” They laughed together as the waves crashed against the shore. Seagulls in the distance cawed, the sun finally gone.

“So, about the rest of the story.”

—

The oven stopped beeping, steaming pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookie sheets littering the counter. Soren’s hand was bleeding profusely, but no one noticed yet. Even Soren didn’t know how to react.

“HARROW!” Callum cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting across the house. Seconds later, Harrow, Janai, and Amaya filed into the kitchen, looking at the pumpkins on the table. “Pumpkin carvers, out of the room! your art is being judged!”

“I’m gonna win,” Soren bragged to Rayla as they walked out. “My pumpkin’s the best.” Rayla looked down at the now red roll of paper towels he was holding.

“Uh, Soren?” she asked, “Are you okay?” They walked out of the room as the judges made their rounds.

“What is Soren’s supposed to be?” Harrow asked, signing as he spoke, pointing at the lopsided pumpkin with spots of red. “And why is there blood on it?”

“I think it’s supposed to be his face,” Amaya signed. “Not in good liking, though.”

“How many points should we give him?”

—

“You’re doing a really bad Janai impression by the way,” Rayla interrupted.

“No, I’m not.”

—

“How many points should we give him? I say a solid 2 out of 10.”

“Nah, give him more than that,” Harrow shrugged. “I’d sayyyyyyy… ehh… five out of ten.” He picked off some stray pumpkin strings, smiling. “He tried.”

“Ok, well, what about Claudia’s?” Janai asked as the group shifted down the table, studying what seemed to be the perfect pumpkin. “I think it has character.”

“I can’t tell what it is,” Amaya replied.

“Me neither,” Harrow agreed, “But it’s better than Soren’s. 6 out of 10.”

“Sounds fair. What about-“

“GUYSS??” Rayla’s voice resounded throughout the house. “GUYS WE NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL.” She and Soren reappeared in the kitchen, Soren’s hand wrapped in a towel. “He sliced his hand open. He needs stitches.”

“Wait!” Soren whined, “I wanna know who won the pumpkin carving contest!”

“Okay, okay,” Callum pushed to the front of the crowd. “Rayla and I will take him to the hospital. You can meet us later- and give the cookies in the kitchen to whoever won.” He gestured to the adults, who were looking very concerned. 

“Should an adult take him to the hospital?” Harrow asked, “And what kind of cookies?” Callum shook his head. 

“Soren’s an adult, he just needs a ride.” He, Rayla and Soren rushed to the front door. “And they’re pumpkin spice chocolate chips!” The door shut, the three of them gone.

— 

“That was a weird day,” Rayla remembered, looking up at the stars. “The poor nurse who had to deal with him-“

“He wouldn’t stop flirting-“

“And the things he said on those painkillers-“

“Viren would have smacked him,” Callum said. “How many stitches did he need?”

“Like, ten.” Rayla chuckled at the memory. “The entire time he was bleeding out in the hospital, he kept asking about the contest.”

“In retrospect,” Callum smiled, “Maybe giving the most immature person I know a knife was poor judgement.”

Rayla laughed. “Yeah, that one is on you.” They sighed contently, leaning up against one another. A cool breeze came by, and they huddled closer together. “Who won, anyways?”

“Ezran did,” Callum grinned, “He carved a sunflower into his pumpkin.”

“Janai’s favorite flower- so, therefore Amaya’s favorite flower.” Rayla chuckled. “That kid is an artist with a knife.”

“Yeah,” Callum laughed, “He’s really good at pumpkin carving.” They looked up at the stars, trying to find shapes in the nighttime sky. “So, I actually never found out what you carved,” he said, looking over at her with a shy smile.

“A smiley face.”

“Wait, that’s it?”

“Yeah. I named him Norman.” Rayla shrugged, hiding a grin. 

“That’s very in character for you,” Callum said, leaning his head on her shoulder again. He pulled the blanket they shared tighter around them, watching the waves. He was in his favorite place with his favorite person. Content washed over him. “Maybe I am happier in the fall.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! This one was lots of fun to write and i hope you enjoy! come back tomorrow for a kinda sad one lmao


End file.
